Neosho council, school district ink no deals, but still talking

May 7—NEOSHO, Mo. — Members of the Neosho City Council did not agree to a deal with the Neosho School District, but floated the possibility of reduced project fees for school projects.

During the council's regular meeting on Tuesday, the council considered a memorandum of understanding with the school district. The agreement proposed the school district building crosswalks on Carl Sweeney Parkway near Benton Elementary and at South Street and Wornall Road near the high school, as well as a graphic display for the city of Neosho at Bob Anderson Stadium in exchange for waiving project fees worth about $160,000.

The council made no votes on the talks, but appeared to reach a consensus not to enter in to such a deal.

"It is cleaner to me if the school pays fees and we build crosswalks that are on the streets that we are responsible for, and we don't try to negotiate it all out," said council member Richard Davidson.

Also without a vote, council members appeared to approve of offering the district some sort of discount on project fees, but only if such a discount can be formalized as an official city policy.

"Going forward, we need to put something in stone," said council member Tyler DeWitt. "I'd be in favor of a reduction ... I think there's a return for both parties. But down the road there needs to be something so that we're not crossing this bridge again."

The city charges a number of different fees for construction projects, including inspection fees for various systems. Permit fees usually cost about $5 per $1,000 of construction costs. With the school district taking on about $32 million in construction as part of a package voters approved last June, it is anticipating about $160,000 in project fees.

Davidson said during the meeting that, in response to recent school building projects, the city of Carthage waived about 50% of such project fees for the Carthage School District, while the city of Joplin charged 100% to the Joplin School District.

The Neosho School District is preparing to start construction on the largest of its projects approved by voters in June — a performing arts center on the north end of the high school.

Completion of the 36,130-square-foot expansion will require relocating a section of Hill Street to curve northwest and realign with West Patterson Street. (The stretch of Hill Street that gets painted by seniors annually will remain in place.)

Neosho Superintendent Jim Cummins said the district plans to handle the costs and construction of that relocation. In the memorandum of understanding, the district asked the city only for "support," which amounted to communication and coordination.

Cummins said during the meeting that the relocation will soon require a formal acceptance from the council.

"At some point in time, we will need to get official approval for the moving of Hill Street," he said during the meeting. "It's going out to bid in June, and we've been told 'yes,' so it needs to be official."

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